Monday, May 24, 2010

A short story about the back pedaling brake

Yesterday I saw a nice video clip about the pros and cons of a back pedaling brake (also known as coaster brake) in one of my favorite programs called Karambolage on my favorite tv channel Arte. Arte stands for Association Relative à la Télévision Européenne and is a quality European culture channel. They broadcast in German and French. Many of their own programs can also be viewed online on arte.tv. Unfortunately I could not find Karambolage. But the text of the clip (here in German and French, by Corinne Delvaux) and the pictures are available on their website. It roughly translates to the following:

We are in Berlin. That's obvious because of the tv tower in the background, isn't it? Well, this gentleman is a Frenchman and he is happy that his Berlin friends lent him a bicycle for sightseeing. Great.

Finally, it awakens to our friend that he cannot balance himself by quickly pedaling backwards, and he also cannot move the pedal in the desired position, no, it stubbornly refuses to even just move an inch back.

Our french friend has just made the acquaintance of a German specific feature, namely the back pedaling brake. As soon as one pedals backwards, the bike brakes. It stops immediately. Unfortunately this system does not simplify learning cycling at all... because it is hard to find the right starting position for the pedal.

This system was invented by the German Ernst Sachs in 1903. Doesn't he look handsome? The majority of all German and Scandinavian city bicycles are equipped with it, but in the South of Europe it could not take hold. Here we see a nice commercial from that time for the back pedaling brake by the company Fichtel and Sachs.

Let us have a closer look: Everything happens in the hub of the rear wheel. Here is a model of a hub. If a cyclist pedals backwards, the conus is pushed in the brake casing, they get wedged together and impose pressure upon the inner part of the hub, by what the bicycle is decelerated.

Brilliant, isn't it? Brakes that never wear out and that work in all circumstances. Even in the most nasty weather: See for yourself, even when it's pouring, the braking system works perfectly and the bicycle stops immediatly, something, that you have to admit, most simply rim brakes don't do.

And here is an older commerical that is is very neat too and advertises the advantages of the back pedaling brake in the mountains. However, we dare to express our concerns: The back pedaling brake makes the bicycle heavier, that's something that does not make it easier to crest mountain roads. The real problems, however, appear when riding downhill: The use of the back pedaling brake is not advisable for descents. In fact, overheating can destroy the hub of the braking system...

I have both rim brake and hub brake. That's the way it has always been, the both are a must in my bike. In Finland bike without a hub brake used to be rare, although nowadays, thanks for the asian brands and sports bikes, they are quite common.

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Our blog is focused on expressing different views on cycling in everyday life across Europe. We post stories from continental Austria, nordic Finland and sunny Spain, according to our cultural and professional background. Thus a variety of personal stories and scientific issues are covered. We hope to provide a somewhat comprehensive insight in cycling culture and lifestyle in Europe. In keeping with the theme of the blog we make a point why and indeed how a bicycle is an ideal mode of transport, despite of or especially in today's bustling world.